Making Money

2007 Discworld novel by Terry Pratchett

This article is about the Discworld novel. For the process by which the money supply of a country is increased, see Money creation. For other uses, see Making Money (disambiguation).

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Making Money

* ''[[Discworld]]''
* 36th+novel+–+2nd++Moist+von+Lipwig+story

First edition

Author| Terry Pratchett
Cover artist| Paul Kidby
Language| English
Series|

* Discworld
* 36th novel – 2nd Moist von Lipwig story

Subject|

* The Mint, gold standard, fiat currency, computer simulation
* Characters:
* Moist von Lipwig, Lord Vetinari, Adora Belle Dearheart
* Locations:
* Ankh-Morpork

Genre| Fantasy
Publisher| Doubleday

Publication date

| 2007
Awards| Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel (2008)
ISBN| 0385611013
Preceded by| Wintersmith
Followed by| Unseen Academicals

Making Money is a fantasy novel by British writer Terry Pratchett, part of his Discworld series, first published in the UK on 20 September 2007. It is the second novel featuring Moist von Lipwig, and involves the Ankh-Morpork mint and specifically the introduction of paper money to the city. The novel won the Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel in 2008, and was nominated for the Nebula Award the same year.[1]

## Plot

[edit]

Moist von Lipwig is bored with his job as the Postmaster General of the Ankh-Morpork Post Office, which is running smoothly without any challenges, so the Patrician tries to persuade him to take over the Royal Bank of Ankh-Morpork and the Royal Mint. Moist, though bored, is content with his new lifestyle, and refuses. However, when the current chairwoman, Topsy Lavish, dies, she leaves 50% of the shares in the bank to her dog, Mr Fusspot (who already owns one share of the bank, giving him a majority and making him chairman), and she leaves the dog to Moist. She also made sure that the Assassins' Guild would fulfill a contract on Moist if anything unnatural happens to the dog or he does not do as her last will commands.

With no alternatives, Moist takes over the bank and finds out that people do not trust banks much, that the production of money runs slowly and at a loss, and that people now use stamps as currency rather than coins. His various ambitious changes include making money that is not backed by gold but by the city itself. Unfortunately, neither the chief cashier (Mr. Bent, who is rumoured to be a vampire but is actually something much worse, a clown) nor the Lavish family are too happy with him and try to dispose of him. Cosmo Lavish tries to go one step further—he attempts to replace Vetinari by taking on his identity—with little success. However all the while, the reappearance of a character from von Lipwig's past adds more pressure to his unfortunate scenario.

Moist's fiancée, Adora Belle Dearheart, is working with the Golem Trust in the meantime to uncover golems from the ancient civilization of Um. She succeeds in bringing them to the city, and to everyone's surprise the "four golden golems" turn out to be "four thousand golems" (due to a translation error) and so the city is at risk of being at war with other cities who might find an army of 4000 golems threatening. Moist discovers the secret to controlling the golems, and manages to order them to bury themselves outside the city (except for a few to power clacks towers and golem horses for the mail coaches) and then decides that these extremely valuable golems are a much better foundation for the new currency than gold and thus introduces the golem-based currency. Eventually, an anonymous clacks message goes out to the leaders of other cities that contains the secret to controlling the golems (the wearing of a golden suit), thus making them unsuitable for use in warfare (as anyone could wear a shiny robe).

At the end of the novel, Lord Vetinari considers the advancing age of the current Chief Tax Collector, and suggests that upon his retirement a new name to take on the vacancy might present itself.

## Characters

[edit]

* Moist von Lipwig, Postmaster General and Vice Chairman of the Royal Bank of Ankh-Morpork.
* Adora Belle Dearheart, fiancée of Moist and manager of the Golem Trust
* Mr Fusspot, Chairman of the Bank
* Lord Vetinari, Patrician
* Mr Mavolio Bent, Chief Cashier of the Bank
* Cosmo Lavish, a director of the Bank
* Rev Cribbins, villain with impressive teeth

## Themes

[edit]

According to Pratchett, Making Money is both fantasy and non-fantasy, as money is a fantasy within the "real world", as "we've agreed that these numbers of conceptual things like dollars have a value".[2]

## Promotional items in the UK hardcover first edition

[edit]

Some High Street booksellers have additional exclusive promotional material glued under the inside of the dust jacket:

* Borders include an Ankh-Morpork cheque book
* Waterstone's include a few Ankh-Morpork bank notes

## Reception

[edit]

Kim Newman, writing for The Independent, called the book "on-the-nose and up-to-the-minute in its subject", praising the villain and the narration.[3] The Guardian's Patrick Ness praised the book's humanity, and its "sharp questions (...) about why we trust banks (...) as well as the nature of money", but noted that the book "is not quite as successful as" Going Postal due to the lack of some of Going Postal's forward drive.[4] The Observer's Rowland Manthrope was critical of the book, saying that "Pratchett has wit here, but has lost his normal cutting edge".[5] Nick Rennison, from The Sunday Times, said that while "Making Money is not vintage Discworld", "it still offers more comic inventiveness and originality than most other novels of the year. And more fun."[6]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "2008 Award Winners & Nominees". Worlds Without End. Retrieved 28 September 2009.
2. ^ Hughes, Juliette (17 February 2007). "Meeting Mr Pratchett". The Age. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
3. ^ Newman, Kim (16 August 2007). "Making Money, by Terry Pratchett". The Independent. Retrieved 1 May 2011.
4. ^ Ness, Patrick (29 September 2007). "In mint condition". The Guardian: 16. Retrieved 1 May 2011.
5. ^ Manthrope, Rownland (11 November 2011). "Puzzle piece". The Observer: 25. Retrieved 1 May 2011.
6. ^ Rennison, Nick (4 November 2007). "Planets of the japes". The Sunday Times. Archived from the original on 6 July 2008. Retrieved 1 May 2011.

## External links

[edit]

Wikiquote has quotations related to Making Money.

* Making Money title listing at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database

Reading order guide

Preceded by

Wintersmith

|  Novels by Terry Pratchett | Succeeded by

Nation

Preceded by

Wintersmith

|  36th Discworld novel  | Succeeded by

Unseen Academicals

Preceded by

Going Postal

|  2nd Moist von Lipwig story
Published in 2007  | Succeeded by

Raising Steam

* v
* t
* e

Terry Pratchett's Discworld

Novels|

* The Colour of Magic
* The Light Fantastic
* Equal Rites
* Mort
* Sourcery
* Wyrd Sisters
* Pyramids
* Guards! Guards!
* Eric
* Moving Pictures
* Reaper Man
* Witches Abroad
* Small Gods
* Lords and Ladies
* Men at Arms
* Soul Music
* Interesting Times
* Maskerade
* Feet of Clay
* Hogfather
* Jingo
* The Last Continent
* Carpe Jugulum
* The Fifth Elephant
* The Truth
* Thief of Time
* The Last Hero
* The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents
* Night Watch
* The Wee Free Men
* Monstrous Regiment
* A Hat Full of Sky
* Going Postal
* Thud!
* Wintersmith
* Making Money
* Unseen Academicals
* I Shall Wear Midnight
* Snuff
* Raising Steam
* The Shepherd's Crown

Short stories|

* "Troll Bridge"
* "Theatre of Cruelty"
* "The Sea and Little Fishes"
* "Death and What Comes Next"
* "A Collegiate Casting-Out of Devilish Devices"
* A Blink of the Screen

Other books|

* The Discworld Companion
* The Science of Discworld
* The Science of Discworld II: The Globe
* The Science of Discworld III: Darwin's Watch
* The Science of Discworld IV: Judgement Day
* The Pratchett Portfolio
* The Art of Discworld
* The Unseen University Challenge
* The Wyrdest Link
* The Streets of Ankh-Morpork
* The Discworld Mapp
* A Tourist Guide to Lancre
* Death's Domain
* Nanny Ogg's Cookbook
* The Discworld Almanak
* Where's My Cow?
* The Unseen University Cut Out Book
* The Discworld Diaries
* Once More* with Footnotes
* The Wit and Wisdom of Discworld
* The Folklore of Discworld
* The World of Poo
* Tiffany Aching's Guide to Being a Witch

Games|

* The Colour of Magic
* Discworld MUD
* Discworld
* Discworld II: Missing Presumed...!?
* GURPS Discworld
* Discworld Noir
* Discworld: Ankh-Morpork

Films and TV series|

* Soul Music
* Wyrd Sisters
* Hogfather
* The Colour of Magic
* Going Postal
* The Watch
* The Amazing Maurice

Characters|

* Tiffany Aching
* Death
* Moist von Lipwig
* Nanny Ogg
* Rincewind
* Susan Sto Helit
* Lord Vetinari
* Sam Vimes
* Granny Weatherwax

Races and creatures|

* Nac Mac Feegle

Locations|

* Discworld
* Ankh-Morpork

Organisations|

* City Watch
* Unseen University
* The Witches

Other|

* Boots theory
* Lie-to-children

* v
* t
* e

Works by Terry Pratchett

Discworld|

| Novels|

* The Colour of Magic
* The Light Fantastic
* Equal Rites
* Mort
* Sourcery
* Wyrd Sisters
* Pyramids
* Guards! Guards!
* Eric
* Moving Pictures
* Reaper Man
* Witches Abroad
* Small Gods
* Lords and Ladies
* Men at Arms
* Soul Music
* Interesting Times
* Maskerade
* Feet of Clay
* Hogfather
* Jingo
* The Last Continent
* Carpe Jugulum
* The Fifth Elephant
* The Truth
* Thief of Time
* The Last Hero
* The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents
* Night Watch
* The Wee Free Men
* Monstrous Regiment
* A Hat Full of Sky
* Going Postal
* Thud!
* Wintersmith
* Making Money
* Unseen Academicals
* I Shall Wear Midnight
* Snuff
* Raising Steam
* The Shepherd's Crown

|

Short stories|

* "Troll Bridge"
* "Theatre of Cruelty"
* "The Sea and Little Fishes"
* "Death and What Comes Next"
* "A Collegiate Casting-Out of Devilish Devices"

Maps|

* The Streets of Ankh-Morpork
* The Discworld Mapp
* A Tourist Guide to Lancre
* Death's Domain

Science|

* The Science of Discworld
* Lie-to-children
* The Science of Discworld II: The Globe
* The Science of Discworld III: Darwin's Watch
* The Science of Discworld IV: Judgement Day

Art|

* The Pratchett Portfolio
* The Art of Discworld
* The Unseen University Cut Out Book

Other books|

* The Discworld Companion
* Nanny Ogg's Cookbook
* The Discworld Almanak
* Where's My Cow?
* Discworld Diary
* Wit and Wisdom of Discworld
* The Folklore of Discworld
* The World of Poo

Johnny Maxwell|

* Only You Can Save Mankind
* Johnny and the Dead
* Johnny and the Bomb

The Long Earth (with Stephen Baxter)|

* The Long Earth
* The Long War
* The Long Mars
* The Long Utopia
* The Long Cosmos

Other novels|

* The Carpet People
* The Dark Side of the Sun
* Strata
* The Unadulterated Cat
* The Nome Trilogy
* Good Omens (with Neil Gaiman)
* Nation
* Dodger

Collected shorts and nonfiction|

* Once More* with Footnotes
* A Blink of the Screen
* A Slip of the Keyboard
* A Stroke of the Pen

* v
* t
* e

Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel

1970s and 1980s|

* The Silmarillion by J. R. R. Tolkien (1978)
* Harpist in the Wind by Patricia A. McKillip (1980)
* Lord Valentine's Castle by Robert Silverberg (1981)
* The Claw of the Conciliator by Gene Wolfe (1982)
* The Sword of the Lictor by Gene Wolfe (1983)
* The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley (1984)
* Job: A Comedy of Justice by Robert A. Heinlein (1985)
* Trumps of Doom by Roger Zelazny (1986)
* Soldier of the Mist by Gene Wolfe (1987)
* Seventh Son by Orson Scott Card (1988)
* Red Prophet by Orson Scott Card (1989)

1990s|

* Prentice Alvin by Orson Scott Card (1990)
* Tehanu by Ursula K. Le Guin (1991)
* Beauty by Sheri S. Tepper (1992)
* Last Call by Tim Powers (1993)
* The Innkeeper's Song by Peter S. Beagle (1994)
* Brittle Innings by Michael Bishop (1995)
* Alvin Journeyman by Orson Scott Card (1996)
* A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin (1997)
* Earthquake Weather by Tim Powers (1998)
* A Clash of Kings by George R. R. Martin (1999)

2000s|

* Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J. K. Rowling (2000)
* A Storm of Swords by George R. R. Martin (2001)
* American Gods by Neil Gaiman (2002)
* The Scar by China Miéville (2003)
* Paladin of Souls by Lois McMaster Bujold (2004)
* Iron Council by China Miéville (2005)
* Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman (2006)
* The Privilege of the Sword by Ellen Kushner (2007)
* Making Money by Terry Pratchett (2008)
* Lavinia by Ursula K. Le Guin (2009)

2010s|

* The City & the City by China Miéville (2010)
* Kraken by China Miéville (2011)
* A Dance with Dragons by George R. R. Martin (2012)
* The Apocalypse Codex by Charles Stross (2013)
* The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman (2014)
* The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison (2015)
* Uprooted by Naomi Novik (2016)
* All the Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders (2017)
* The Stone Sky by N. K. Jemisin (2018)
* Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik (2019)

2020s|

* Middlegame by Seanan McGuire (2020)
* The City We Became by N. K. Jemisin (2021)
* Jade Legacy by Fonda Lee (2022)
* Babel, or the Necessity of Violence by R. F. Kuang (2023)
* Witch King by Martha Wells (2024)

* Best Novel (1971–1981)
* Best SF Novel (1980–present)
* Best Fantasy Novel (1978–present)
* Best First Novel (1981–present)
* Best Horror Novel (1989–1997, 1999, 2017–present)
* Best Young Adult Book (2003–present)
* Best Novella (1973–present)
* Best Novelette (1975–present)
* Best Short Story (1971–present)

Authority control databases |

* MusicBrainz work

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